(1) Technical Field
The present invention is concerned with improvements to equine training devices and more particularly to a timing device built-in with a schooling whip for real time monitoring by riders participating in timed performance events.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In most equine schooling activities, it is desirable that a rider pace or time their horse to obtain the smoothest movement providing maximum durability, style and control. A problem associated with conventional pacer-timer apparatus available in the prior art is that they are usually too large to be conveniently carried by the rider during schooling activities such as walking, trotting, cantering, jumping and the like.
Events for equestrians include all types of competitive events, i.e., cross-country 3-day eventing, endurance riding competitions, trail riding competitions, game events, and other racing venues, such as thoroughbred, quarter horse, Arabian horse and most types of driving competitions. All are time-based events. For example, the horse that completes the event in the shortest time period is the winner and the participants compete for money, trophies, prizes, or breeding revenues.
Using the hand-held stopwatch, from the ground, has long been the standby in conditioning the horse within all areas of competitive timed events in the equine industry.
The word whip describes two basic types of tools. A long stick-like device, usually slightly flexible, with a small bit of leather or cord, called a “popper”, on the end. Depending on length and flexibility, this type is often called a dressage or schooling whip, riding crop or “bat”. The other type of whip is a long tapered flexible length of single-strand or plaited (braided) material (usually leather) with a stiff handle. Each design has many variations and lengths for different purposes, often with different names.
The dressage or schooling whip should be as flexible as possible and weighty at the thick end so that its center of gravity lies in the user's hand.
To develop a good sense of timing, you first have to understand the exact sequence of the horse's footfalls within each gait whether it be the walk, trot, canter or gallop. A student must learn to feel each of those footfalls from the saddle in order to improve riding skills during point-to-point timed events. Only then will the student be able to time the application of their aids with the horse's footfalls.